Application deadline: April 30, 2025

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is offering scholarships to Bangladeshi students for higher education. Applications are currently open for the 2025-26 academic year. Through this scholarship, Bangladeshi students can pursue undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD degrees at renowned public universities in India. The application deadline is 30 April.

The ICCR Scholarship is one of the most popular scholarships for higher education in India. Each year, a total of 200 scholars are selected under the ICCR scheme, with 100 scholarships allocated for engineering subjects and 100 for non-engineering disciplines. The distribution includes 140 scholarships for undergraduate studies, 40 for postgraduate studies, and 20 for MPhil and PhD programmes.

In 2021, during the celebration of Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary of independence, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a scheme called the ‘Suborno Jayanti Scholarship’. Additionally, under the ICCR, there is a scheme known as the ‘Lata Mangeshkar Dance and Music Scholarship’. This scheme has further increased the number of available seats by 500.

Benefits of the ICCR Scholarship

• Full tuition fees covered
• No application fees required
• Coverage of hostel and meal expenses
• Monthly stipend: INR 18,000 for undergraduate students, INR 20,000 for postgraduate students, and INR 22,000 for PhD students
• Airfare for travel to and from India provided
• Additional benefits, including medical coverage

Eligibility Criteria

• Scholarships are available for various fields of study except medicine, paramedical, fashion, and law.
• Applicants for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes must be between 18 and 30 years old, while the minimum age requirement for PhD applicants is 45.
• Each applicant must demonstrate English proficiency by writing a 500-word essay. TOEFL and IELTS scores can also be submitted, though they are not mandatory.

Required Documents

• Recent photograph
• Academic transcripts and certificates
• Valid passport
• English-translated copy of NID or birth certificate
• Medical fitness certificate

All required documents must be submitted in English. Documents in other languages must be officially translated into English, as untranslated documents will not be accepted. Additionally, ICCR scholarship recipients must obtain medical insurance with a minimum annual coverage of INR 500,000 (approximately USD 6,800).

For further details and application procedures, visit the official ICCR website.